


Start a Fight You Won't Win

by Crowgirl



Series: Scars Remind Us [47]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Hunt Planning, Laying Bait, M/M, Self-Sacrificial Winchesters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-17
Updated: 2012-07-17
Packaged: 2017-11-10 04:48:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/462353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowgirl/pseuds/Crowgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ongoing discussion, and ramifications thereof, between Dean and Castiel about the after-effects of Hell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Start a Fight You Won't Win

XLVII.

‘Y’don’t have to do this, boy.’ Bobby sounds tired, his rough voice rougher than usual. He’s slumped in a chair across the kitchen table from Dean, his baseball cap slung on the table in front of him. 

Dean nods slowly, looking down at his hands, open on the table in front of him.

‘We can find some other way, Dean.’ That’s Sam, leaning back against the counter, just barely restraining himself from pacing.

Dean glances up at Cas who is standing in the doorway. The angel returns his gaze soberly but does not speak.

_Great._ Dean nods and sits back in his chair, studying the sludge of coffee grounds left in his mug. 

The room is silent.

‘Well, I’ve been bait before. Can’t see the difference this time.’ Dean shoves his chair back sharply and gets up, crossing to the coffee pot and refilling his mug.

‘The difference is you could _die_ , Dean.’ Sam glowers into his own mug. Dean can see how tightly he’s hanging onto it, his brother’s big hands knotted almost white around the plain black ceramic.

‘And that’s different how?’

‘Listen to your brother, boy. It’s a damned dangerous idea.’ Bobby is frowning at him.

‘Like the other ones haven’t been?’ Dean shrugs, tries to pretend his heart isn’t just about jackrabbitting out of his chest. Coffee probably isn’t his best idea right now, but the cup gives him something to hold onto and he needs that. He leans back against the counter beside Sam. ‘We’re gonna have to give ‘em _something_ to play with while you guys do your tricks and I seem to be the flavor of the month.’

‘It is very dangerous, Dean.’ Castiel’s voice is quiet. ‘The dreams will be -- more intense. You will be in them for longer. You will not be able to wake yourself up as from a nightmare. There is...’ He pauses and his eyes flicker quickly between Sam and Bobby. 

Dean looks over and sees Bobby’s scowl darken; Sam slams his mug down on the counter so hard cold coffee slops onto his cuff and jams his hands into his jeans pockets. Castiel finishes slowly: ‘There is a chance the demons could take you. Through the dream.’

Dean nods slowly, focusing on not running out the door as fast as he can go and not looking back. ‘You got a better plan?’

Cas hesitates, then shakes his head slowly. ‘I...’ He raises his head and looks straight at Bobby. ‘I want another day. I want to find a way to safeguard Dean.’

‘Cas, y’don’t--’ Dean starts but falls silent when Castiel looks directly at him, blue eyes open and unguarded.

‘Yes. I do.’

_Oh. Okay._ Dean swallows hard, feeling his chest clench tight. ‘I can look after myself, Cas.’ God, Cas is looking at him like-- like he did once or twice, with so much affection that Dean doesn’t understand it. He wonders that the other two don’t say anything but Sam and Bobby are both silent, Bobby staring down at his hands, Sam at the floor.

‘I will not let you do this alone.’ Castiel raises his chin slightly. 

‘Get to figurin’, then,’ Bobby interrupts before Dean can say anything else. ‘Those traps ain’t gonna hold much longer.’

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "What Lies Beneath," Breaking Benjamin, _Dear Agony._


End file.
